What Made the List: A Less Processed Life's Top Ten Posts of 2014

I know it's so trite to say, but seriously, this year has flown by. Wasn't it just March? I thought I'd spend the last day of the year taking a walk down memory lane with a look at this year's most popular posts. This year's top ten is rife with sweet baked goods -- which comes as no surprise to me, as they're my favorite thing to make in the kitchen and they are easiest to photograph. For me, it's way easier to take a glamour shot of a chocolate donut than of a beef stew or casserole. (Although there are plenty of delicious savory recipes on this blog!) 

I'm looking forward to bringing more delicious recipes and plenty of entertaining and educational content to the blog in 2015. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!



Baked Buttermilk Chocolate Donuts - Chocolate cake donuts with a chocolate glaze are my go-to choice when I hit up a donut bakery. Since the nearest place to get delicious donuts is about an hour's drive south, I find that if I want a donut, I've got to make it myself. These donuts are full of rich chocolate flavor, get a little tang from the buttermilk, and the chocolate glaze lends itself well to a generous covering of sprinkles. 



Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Bars - I love when ruby-red rhubarb stalks hit the market. I can't help but pick up several pounds' worth, and without fail some of the rhubarb finds its way into a sweet baked bar recipe, most often with strawberry as its accomplice. 



Cowboy Caviar - Ah, summertime in a bowl! While I suppose I could make this throughout the year, this cowboy caviar is really best when summertime rolls around and fresh locally-grown tomatoes abound.


Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread - I had a blast participating in Joy the Baker's baking bootcamp series. This triple berry cinnamon swirl bread looks spectacular but surprisingly isn't that difficult to make.


Eggnog Cheesecake Bites - I made these eggnog cheesecake bites three times in the past month -- once for a holiday get-together in Wisconsin, once for my family in Ohio, and finally for a get-together with D's family in Michigan. More one-bite dessert recipes in 2015? I think that's a good plan. 


Gluten-Free Dutch Baby Pancake - Back in the spring I experimented with a gluten-free diet. This gluten-free Dutch baby pancake was one of the resulting recipes. It's so good! Particularly with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.


Blueberry Chia Jam Bars - I need to make these luscious blueberry chia jam bars again. And also some more blueberry chia jam! I'm definitely looking forward to returning to Blue Vista Farm in Bayfield next summer for some more blueberry picking.


Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding - This pudding is perfect for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack. Is it strawberry season yet? A look out my window at the snow tells me an emphatic "no." I may have to give this recipe a whirl with frozen berries.


Pumpkin Dog Treats - Leroy gave these pumpkin dog treats two paws up. I baked up this batch of treats before Franka joined our family -- looks like another batch is in my future.


Blueberry Donuts with a Lemon Glaze - Another donut recipe in the top ten -- who woulda thought? Though these donuts may look sinful, their looks belie a rather healthy ingredient list. Man, now I really want a donut.

What was your favorite post from 2014? What recipes would you like to see in 2015? 

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What's For Dessert: Skillet Apple Cobbler


D and I were invited over to a gathering last night, and I knew whatever I'd bring along to share for dessert would involve apples, as we still have quite a few of them in the refrigerator left over from our apple-picking trip to Blue Vista Farm in Bayfield, Wisconsin.


I pored over apple recipes, trying to decide what to make. I knew I wanted something that would use up a lot of apples but an apple pie was out of the question as I wasn't in the mood to deal with a fussy pastry crust. (Making pie crusts still makes me nervous.)


I came upon a few recipes for apple cobbler and decided that would be the winner. There are many different styles of cobbler crusts -- some recipes have you drop rounds of dough over the fruit, while others have you pat the dough over the entire top of the cobbler. I decided to do a hybrid of the two by rolling out the dough and cutting out fluted biscuit circles to cover the top of my cobbler. I covered the entire cobbler, but I think it would look just as nice if some more of the fruit was able to peek through.

Baking the cobbler in a cast-iron skillet makes for a great presentation, and of course, this crowd-pleasing dessert wouldn't be completed without a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.


Skillet Apple Cobbler (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

For the apple filling:
2-3 pounds (8 cups) apples, cored, peeled, and sliced (1/4-inch thick)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the cobbler dough:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
sanding sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large oven-safe skillet, add together the apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and cook over medium heat. Continue to cook for several minutes until the apples are just beginning to caramelize and have softened slightly.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Pour the mixture onto the apples and stir to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat.
4. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal, and just a few pea-sized butter pieces remain. Add in the heavy cream and pulse a few time until combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a round and then roll out until about 1/2-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out 12-15 dough circles. Place the biscuits on top of the apples in the skillet in a circular pattern. Brush each biscuit top with heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Pro-tip: place an aluminum-foil wrapped baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips from the skillet above. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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What I'm Wishing You: Happy Holidays!



From our family to yours, best wishes for a wonderful holiday season! 

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What's For Christmas Breakfast: Waffles with Grandma's Vanilla Sauce


Welcome WXPR listeners — thanks for stopping by! You will find the recipes from today's segment at the bottom of this post.


This time of year, there is a lot of cooking going on in my home. Whether I’m cooking for holiday get-togethers with colleagues, family or friends, baking for cookie exchanges, or preparing holiday feasts, my oven and stovetop definitely get a workout this time of year. 

Some of my favorite food memories are associated with the Christmas holiday. As a child, my family’s kitchen counters would be covered with tins full of freshly-baked Christmas cookies, including English toffee bars topped with chocolate and chopped nuts, sugar cookies covered in way-too-many sprinkles, spritz cookies made with a temperamental cookie gun, and everyone’s favorite peanut butter blossoms. Some of the cookies were destined for our stomachs.  The rest were packaged up to be brought down with us on our annual winter break road trip from snowy Ohio to sunny Florida, where my mom’s snowbird parents spent the winter to escape the cold conditions of New York. 


While I continue to carry on the family tradition of baking dozens of cookies every Christmas, if I had to pinpoint my favorite food memory associated with the holiday, it would center on a humble kitchen appliance and a treasured family recipe.

What might this appliance be? A waffle iron that my grandparents were given as a wedding present in 1943. My father inherited the waffle iron when he headed to college in the early 1960s.  Made by the Dominion Electrical Manufacturing Company in Mansfield, Ohio, the round waffle iron is a thing of Art Deco beauty. The silver chrome is just as shiny today as it was back in the 1940s when it was made. 


Every year at Christmas, my family and I would hold our breaths as the waffle iron was plugged in, fearing that this would be the year that the waffle iron would stop working. But … here we are more than 70 years after it was made, and the waffle iron still works just as well as the day it left the factory. 

For as long as I can remember, waffles have been on the breakfast menu on Christmas morning. It is a tradition continued by my dad from the Christmas mornings of his youth.

We are spoiled up here in the Northwoods with an abundance of sugar maple trees, and you can’t go wrong with the classic combination of hot-off-the-iron waffles and pure maple syrup.  However, in our family, Christmas morning breakfast wouldn’t be complete without the addition of my Grandma’s vanilla sauce.



Waffles with vanilla sauce, served alongside strips of crispy bacon and a citrus salad made from the oranges Santa left in each of our stockings – made for a filling and satisfying meal with my family after an early morning spent unwrapping presents around the Christmas tree. These days, while I might not always make it home to Ohio for the holidays, I always know that with the combination of a few simple ingredients, I can get a taste of our family Christmas wherever I may be.

Waffles (printer-friendly version)
makes 4+ servings

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk (skim, low-fat, or whole)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and allowed to cool slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Stir together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the two eggs. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. (Do not over-stir; the batter will be lumpy.)
4. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the center of a lightly oiled waffle iron. Close the lid and allow to cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.
5. When done, use a fork to lift the waffle from the iron. Serve immediately, or place on a plate in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.




Grandma Berg's Famous Vanilla Waffle Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes 4+ servings

2 cups milk (skim, low-fat, or whole)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (use 1 teaspoon for an even stronger vanilla flavor)

1. In a medium sauce pan, stir together the milk, sugar, and flour over medium heat. Stir frequently. (This is very important; you do not want the milk to scorch.)
2. Continue stirring as the mixture heats; bringing it to a boil. Cook for a few minutes more; the mixture will thicken to a pudding-like consistency.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Keep the sauce warm and serve over waffles immediately.
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What's On My Wishlist: 2014 Gift Guide

Those folks who, as of Thanksgiving (or even earlier), gloat that they have already finished all of their holiday shopping? Yeah, I'm not one of those people. I have always been one of those last-minute shoppers. Typically I have a plan for what I'm going to get everyone on my list, so I can strategically hop from one place to another to quickly procure each gift. And, these days, what with online shopping and all those last-minute free-shipping deals, I don't even have to deal with crowds or terrible traffic any more. (Albeit, living in a small town, crowds and traffic are a fairly moot point.)

However, if you find yourself still racking your brain for what to get the food lover on your list, here's a last-minute shopping guide for you. And if the items won't arrive in time for the holiday? I think a print-out of the promised gift is a suitable solution at the eleventh hour. And while a gift card is perhaps not the most personal of gifts, it does allow the recipient to choose exactly what he or she wants -- leaving little room for disappointment (or feigned joy) on Christmas morning. 

Paderno Four-Blade Spiralizer Silicone Baking Sheet Liner French kitchen pastry slab CIA Culinary Boot Camp Nordic Ware Baking Sheets Square Silicone Baking Mat Thermapen balloon whisk Image Map




1. Paderno Four-Blade Spiralizer // 2. Silicone Baking Sheet Liner // 3. French kitchen pastry slab // 4. CIA Culinary Boot Camp
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What's Baking: Cut-Out Sugar Cookies


Back in the day, cut-out sugar cookies were one of my favorite cookies to make. Aside from choosing which cookie cutter to use next, my favorite part of the cut-out cookie process was decorating the cookies before they went into the oven. In my mind, the more sprinkles, the more festive the cookies. Needless to say, I may have gone a little overboard with the decorations.


However, once they were out of the oven, although the cookies always looked delicious, they weren't really all that tasty. Enter in this cut-out sugar cookie recipe from The Kitchn. It's touted as the end-all, be-all cut-out sugar cookie recipe, and by gosh, I think they might be right! This is no bland sugar cookie my friends. Its flavor is a delicious melding of vanilla, almond, and lemon. Oof! So good! So deserving of all these exclamation points!


This past weekend I made a full batch that I shared with friends during a night of square dancing (as one does in the Northwoods), and today I made a second batch to send out to a few folks on my Santa list. This recipe is easily halved (use one whole egg; halve all the rest of the ingredients) and the cookies taste delicious decorated solely with sprinkles or with a little icing (and, um, a ton of sprinkles) on top. 

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in several small batches while stirring at low speed. Continue stirring until all of the flour is nearly incorporated. Then stir by hand to completely incorporate the flour.
3. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Pat one of the portions into a circle, then roll flat (1/4" or 1/8" thick) between two sheets of parchment paper. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
4. Refrigerate the rolled-out dough for at least one hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into different shapes. Place the cut-out dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat.
6. Bake for 8-15 minutes (depending on cookie thickness). Remove the cookies from the oven once the edges are set and just beginning to turn gold in color. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Ice the cookies (see recipe below) once the cookies are completely cool.

(from this recipe from The Kitchn)

Sugar Cookie Icing

For the border icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
 2 1/2 tablespoons milk (I used 2 percent)

For the flood icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 – 3 tablespoons milk (I used 2 percent)

1. To make the border icing, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl. The mixture should be fairly thick. Carefully pour and/or spoon the icing into a squeeze bottle. Set aside.
2. To make the flood icing, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a second bowl. The mixture should be fairly thin. Carefully pour the icing into a second squeeze bottle. Set aside.
3. Use the border icing to trace the outline of each cookie. Allow the border icing to set slightly. Then fill in the interior with the flood icing, using the nose of the bottle to move the icing into the corners and edges.
4. The cookies should be allowed to dry for several hours before packing in an airtight container.

(from this recipe from The Kitchn)

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What's Baking: Peanut Butter Blossoms


Every Christmas, I bake up dozens of cookies. Most are given away to family and friends, but the ones that rarely leave our house are D's favorite peanut butter blossoms. I've made peanut butter blossoms before, but this time around I tried out a new recipe from America's Test Kitchen. This recipe includes ground peanuts in the dry ingredients, adding an additional roasted peanut flavor to the cookies.

I halved the original recipe, as I really don't need four dozen cookies lying around the house. (The original recipe states that it makes 96 cookies, but I'm calling shenanigans on that, as a halved recipe made 24 cookies, and my cookies were definitely already on the small side.)

Peanut Butter Blossoms (printer-friendly version)
makes 24 cookies

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses (from one 1-pound bag), wrappers removed

1. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup peanuts to the bowl of a food processor and process until ground, about 15 one-second pulses. Add the peanut-flour mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour mixture in two batches. Stir to combine.
4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
6. Roll the dough into one-inch balls and set two inches apart on the prepped baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through the cooking period.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly press a chocolate candy into the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

(adapted from this America's Test Kitchen recipe)
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What's Baking: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars


Today I am featuring the cookies I baked for the 2014 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. This event, which is in its fourth year, brings together food bloggers from around the world with one mission -- to swap delicious cookies. This year, the swap again partnered with Cookies for Kids' Cancer to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

Each participant was matched with the names and addresses of three other food bloggers. Our instructions were to send each of our matches a dozen cookies; in return we'd receive a dozen cookies from three different bloggers too. I received delicious orange cranberry chocolate chip cookies from Aly of Cooking in Stilettos, tasty Kris Kringles (sugar cookies rolled in crushed almonds and topped with a cherry) from Ace at The Toasted Sprinkle, and the most adorable gingerbread men from Teri at The Freshman Cook. The cookies were all delicious and I have to admit, they didn't last very long in our house.

My three batches of cookies went to Heather of Join Us, Pull Up a Chair; Meagan of A Zesty Bite, and Donna from dang that's delicious. Like last year, I again had a hard time deciding what cookies to bake for this year's swap. I experimented with a couple of shortbread recipes, but I wasn't too excited by the results. With time ticking down to the cookie shipping deadline, I decided to bake up a double-batch of my favorite cookies from last year -- the chocolate chip cookie dough billionaire cookie bars that Christina of Stracciatella sent me.


These cookies actually originate from The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook written by Lindsay Landis of Love & Olive Oil, who also happens to be the co-founder of this cookie swap. These cookie bars are truly decadent. And while they may take a bit of time to put together, the end result is totally worth it.

I made a few simple changes to the original recipe. First, since I had some caramel sauce already on hand, I used it for the caramel layer rather than melting together 7 ounces of soft caramel candies and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream that the original recipe calls for. And because the cookie bars aren't rich enough (ha ha!) I also added a white chocolate drizzle to the dark chocolate topping. Go big or go home, that's what I always say. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars (printer-friendly version)
makes 20+ bars

For the shortbread layer:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

For the caramel layer:
1/2 cup easy bourbon caramel sauce (see separate recipe post)

For the cookie dough layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate coating/drizzle:
4 ounces (1/2 cup) dark chocolate melts
4 ounces (1/2 cup) white chocolate melts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper (it should overhang the dish on at least two sides) and set aside.
2. To make the shortbread, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars at high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Add the flour at stir at low speed until just combined. The dough will be very crumbly. Turn the dough out into the prepped baking dish and press the dough firmly into the pan. Use a fork to poke holes across the surface of the dough. Bake the shortbread for 18-22 minutes, or until the sides are golden brown and the surface is firm to the touch. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
4. Pour about 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce over the (still warm) shortbread layer. Use a spatula to evenly coat the shortbread layer with the caramel.
5. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator and allow the caramel layer to set, this should take about one hour.
6. Meanwhile, make the cookie dough layer. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then add the flour mixture to the mixer and stir at low speed to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Use a spatula to evenly spread the cookie dough on top of the hardened caramel layer. Place the baking dish back into the refrigerator to allow the cookie dough layer to set slightly.
7. Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate melts in separate bowls in the microwave (melt in 15-30 second increments). Use an offset spatula to spread the melted dark chocolate over top the cookie dough layer. Then use drizzle the white chocolate over top the dark chocolate, using whatever pattern you choose. Place the baking dish back into the refrigerator and allow to set completely.
8. Carefully remove the cookie bars from the baking dish and place onto a cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to cut the bars into one or two inch squares.

(lightly adapted from a recipe in The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis)
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Made From Scratch: Easy Bourbon Caramel Sauce


I've posted a few other caramel recipes on the blog, but I think I love this one the most because it takes only a few minutes and involves zero candy thermometers. The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, but I took it up a slight notch with the addition of bourbon after the caramel sauce has thickened. This step is entirely optional, but I think the bourbon adds a nice additional layer of flavor to the sauce.


This rich and thick caramel sauce is delicious served warm over ice cream (or a slice of warm apple pie, or bread pudding, or cheesecake, really, the options are endless). But it's also a key component of the truly decadent cookie bar recipe I have coming up for you next.

Easy Bourbon Caramel Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 cup

1 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon bourbon [optional]

1. In a medium sauce pot, stir together the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. While whisking constantly, heat the ingredients over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking until the mixture thickens, 5-7 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon.
3. Use immediately or refrigerate until cold. 

(lightly adapted from this recipe from The Pioneer Woman)
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What's For Dessert: Eggnog Cheesecake Bites



If you invite me to a party, there's a good chance I'm going to bring more than one dish to share -- typically something savory and something sweet. For a recent get-together, I brought along everything bagel cream cheese dip and these eggnog cheesecake bites.


I've actually had these eggnog cheesecake bites on my mind since last year, and had plans to bake up a batch for the Christmas season after making salted caramel cheesecake bites for a Halloween party.


Alas, time got away from me (as typically happens during the hectic holiday season), and I never got the chance to bake up these little guys. (That, and, once you're past mid-January, no one seems to be into eggnog anymore, anyway.)


These eggnog cheesecake bites feature a spicy ginger cookie crust, a bourbon-infused eggnog cheesecake filling, and a little dollop of freshly whipped cream dusted with freshly-ground nutmeg. It doesn't get much more festive than that!

I find that the cheesecake bites taste even better on day two, so feel free to make them ahead of time. And, as a side benefit, making the cheesecake bites a day ahead frees up time on the day of your get-together, making it a bit less stressful. That's a win in my book!

Eggnog Cheesecake Bites (printer-friendly version)
makes 24 mini cheesecakes

For the crust:
1 cup ginger cookie crumbs (I used about 20 ginger thins)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecakes:
1 (8 oz) package neufchâtel cheese (or regular cream cheese), softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon bourbon (or vanilla extract)
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup organic eggnog
freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg), for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, use the steel blade attachment to make crumbs from the ginger cookies. Add in the brown sugar and pulse a few times to incorporate into the crumbs. Carefully add in the melted butter and process until incorporated.
3. Spoon the crumb mixture into each lined mini muffin cup, filling each cup about 1/4 full. Use the back of the spoon or your (clean!) fingers to press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of each muffin cup. (The round end of a muddler also works quite well to tamp down the crumbs as well.)
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the neufchâtel cheese, egg, bourbon, and raw sugar together at high speed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary. Mix in the egg nog and continue stirring at high speed until evenly combined.
5. Spoon the cheese mixture on top of the ginger cookie crumb layer, filling each muffin cup almost completely full.
6. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the cheesecake layer has set and appears matte, not glossy. Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake bites cool in the tin on a wire rack. Once cooled to the touch, place the tin in the refrigerator to chill.
7. To serve, remove the cheesecake bites from their paper liners. Dollop freshly whipped cream (see recipe below) on top of each cheesecake bite. Then garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.


Freshly Whipped Cream

1 cup organic heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
2. Pour the heavy cream into the chilled mixing bowl, and whip at high speed. When cream begins to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla extract.
3. Continue to whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
4. Spoon a dollop of whip cream onto each cheesecake bite, or use a pastry bag with a star tip attached to pipe the whipped cream onto each serving.


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What I'm Bringing to the Party: Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Dip


One of my favorite things about holiday get-togethers -- aside from catching up with old friends and making now ones -- is that it gives me a great excuse to try out new recipes.


When brainstorming ideas of what to bring along to a party recently, the idea of an everything bagel cream cheese dip popped into my head. It probably had something to do with the fact that D and I had recently made a lunch of bagels and cream cheese, and while he chose a plain bagel, I couldn't help but choose an "everything" bagel. With that savory taste still in my mind, I decided to re-create it in party dip form.

I didn't want the dip to be straight-up cream cheese (as I thought that would be a bit too much), so I cut the richness and thickness of the cream cheese with some nonfat plain Greek yogurt. And then I went to town adding in all those "everything" flavors and textures -- sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, roasted garlic, and a little dried chives, plus a little salt and pepper to round everything out.

Serve it alongside toasted bagel chips (or your favorite gluten-free chips), and you've got an easy appetizer ready to share at your next get-together.

Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Dip (printer-friendly version)
makes about 2 cups

8 ounces cream cheese (or neufchatel cheese)
8 ounces (1 cup) nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons dried minced onions
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon (3-4 small cloves) chopped roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Beat together the cream cheese and Greek yogurt in an electric mixer until completely combined.
2. Add the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced onions, dried chives, chopped roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to the cream cheese mixture. Beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Spoon into a serving bowl alongside bagel chips. The dip is best served at room temperature or lightly chilled. Store any leftovers in an airtight contain in the refrigerator. After chilling, beat the dip in an electric mixer to soften before serving.
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What's For Lunch: Pizza with Roasted Squash Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Apples, and Goat Cheese


When it comes to pizzas, I tend to make a margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil) more often than not. It's not that I don't like pizzas with more exotic ingredients, it's just that sometimes simple flavors don't need to be improved upon.


A few months ago, D and I headed down to Stoney Acres Farm to enjoy one of the last Friday pizza nights of the season. There we shared a pizza with squash sauce, apples, crispy bacon, and blue cheese. Long story short, the pizza was delicious. And I couldn't wait to re-create it at home.

For my version, I used a roasted butternut squash puree as the sauce, added a layer of caramelized onions, and subbed goat cheese for the blue cheese. I opted for a vegetarian pizza, but a little crispy bacon on top would add a nice salty flavor to counterbalance the sweetness of the apples.

Pizza with Roasted Squash Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Apples, and Goat Cheese
(printer-friendly version)
makes one pizza

1 pizza crust (I like this made-from-scratch recipe)
1 cup roasted squash puree
2 cups caramelized onions (see recipe below)
1 small-medium apple, cored, peeled, and sliced
8 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Dollop the roasted squash puree onto the crust and use a spatula to evenly coat the crust.
3. Add an even layer of caramelized onions over the sauce.
4. Top the caramelized onions with the apple slices. (I made a circular pattern with the apples.)
5. Generously sprinkle crumbled goat cheese over top the apple layer.
6. Bake in the oven until the crust is golden brown and the goat cheese is just beginning to brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

For the caramelized onions:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium white onions, cut into 1/4" slices, and separated into individual rounds
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions.
2. Stir occasionally during the first 15 minutes of cooking. The onions will soften and become translucent. Stir in the brown sugar.
3. During the next 10 minutes of cooking, stir the onions about every minute or so to prevent them from sticking to the skillet bottom and burning.
4. The caramelized onions are done once the onions are lightly browned; the entire cooking process should take about 25-30 minutes.
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What's Baking: Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread


Not only does this cinnamon pull-apart bread look spectacular, but it is also beyond delicious. Paired with a hot cup of coffee or mug of tea, it makes for a perfect mid-morning snack.



However, this post is not just about a recipe for a truly tasty bread. It's also a reminder to not freak out when you mess up while following a recipe. Because, mess up I did. This recipe originates from Joy the Baker, though I made a few tiny tweaks to the ingredients. My big mess-up occurred when I cut my dough into horizontal strips, rather than vertical strips, as Joy instructs. So, when I piled the dough stacks together to place them in my large loaf pan, the dough was way too small to fit snugly into the pan.


After freaking out for half a minute, I realized the easy solution to my problem was just to use two small 4" loaf pans rather than one big 9" loaf pan. Instead of baking one large loaf, I baked up two smaller loaves. So, the next time a recipe doesn't seem to be turning out quite like you expected, take a step back and think for a minute before forging ahead or tossing your hard work and starting anew.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes two 4" loaves or one 9" loaf

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
3 tablespoons warm water (105-115 degrees F)
pinch granulated sugar
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup organic whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon-sugar filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of cardamom
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until browned

1. Activate the yeast by whisking the yeast into 3 tablespoons of warm water. Stir in a pinch of granulated sugar and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it is thickened and bubbly. If the mixture does not form foam, discard and try again with another packet of yeast.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the milk and butter to a small sauce pot. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the water and vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, until the mixture registers 115-125 degrees F.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir to combine. Add 3/4 cup flour and stir until well-combined. The dough will be sticky.
5. Turn the dough out into a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
6. In the meantime, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cardamom in a small bowl. Set aside. In a small sauce pot, melt the butter until browned, then set aside.
7. Grease and flour two 4" loaf pans or one 9" loaf pan. Set aside.
8. Punch the dough to deflate it, then knead the remaining 1/4 cup of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
9. Lightly flour your work surface, then roll out the dough until it is about 12-inches wide by 20-inches long. (Don't worry if it's not a perfect rectangle.) Use a pastry brush to spread the browned butter evenly across the dough. Then sprinkle the buttered dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and lightly pat the sugar into the buttered dough.
10a. To make two small loaves, cut the dough horizontally into six equal strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and cut into 6 stacks of squares. Place the dough squares into the prepped loaf pans so they appear like pages in a book.
10b. To make one large loaf, cut the dough vertically into six equal strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and cut into 6 stacks of squares. Place the dough squares into the prepped loaf pans so they appear like pages in a book.
11. Place a clean towel over the loaf pan(s) and set in warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is dark golden brown. Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20-30 minutes. Insert a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and then carefully flip it onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

(lightly adapted from this Joy the Baker recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Thanksgiving Leftovers


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! D and I had a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner shared with my parents. Instead of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, we had roast chicken -- a chicken raised on our own land over the summer. It doesn't get much more local than that!

This year we raised 36 chickens, all of which were heirloom breeds. These breeds included Jersey Giants, Barred Rocks, and Buckeyes. In September, D was in charge of dispatching the majority of the birds, though we kept 12 laying hens and 1 rooster (affectionately named Dirty Randy, a name that fans of The League will recognize). A few weeks ago our hens started laying eggs, and we're getting about 3-4 eggs per day, which is pretty fantastic considering the cold temperatures and low-light conditions as we barrel ever closer to the shortest day of the year as the Winter Solstice approaches.

The roasted chicken was a delicious centerpiece for our Thanksgiving meal, which also included my favorite stuffing, mashed potatoes, whole-berry cranberry sauce, and homemade rolls. Dessert was an apple pie made from scratch by D, which featured a super-flaky crust courtesy of a small jar of lard gifted to us from our friends who had a hog share from a local farm this year.

Long story short, we had plenty of food and now we have plenty of leftovers. Thus far I've enjoyed several roast chicken, cranberry sauce, and brie sandwiches (see below for the simple recipe), but I think it's about time I upped my leftover game. I do believe there may be a chicken pot pie or two in our future!

What is your favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers?

Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich (printer-friendly version)
makes one sandwich

1-2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
3 small (or 1 large) slice(s) of brie
leftover roasted turkey (or chicken) breast, warmed
2 slices bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer one slice of bread with the brie slice(s), warmed chicken, and cranberry sauce. Top with the remaining slice of bread.
3. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Turn the oven to broil, and broil the sandwich until the bread has browned. Serve immediately.

And here are a few more ideas for what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers:



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